Shoulder stocks for use with firearms

ABSTRACT

Shoulder stocks for use with firearms are described. An example shoulder stock for use with firearms includes a shoulder stock that defines at least one storage compartment having an opening. The shoulder stock includes a locking mechanism that includes an extension that extends toward the rear of the shoulder stock. Additionally, the example shoulder stock includes a base plate that includes a seal. The base plate is removably couplable to the shoulder stock by the locking mechanism.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent is a continuation of International Patent Application SerialNo. PCT/EP2007/004526, filed May 22, 2007, which claims priority toGerman Patent Application 10 2006 024 962.3, filed on May 29, 2006 andto German Patent Application 10 2006 033 260.1, filed on Jul. 18, 2006,each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This patent relates generally to shoulder stocks and, more specifically,to shoulder stocks for use with firearms.

BACKGROUND

Some known rifles have storage compartments in the shoulder stock forstorage purposes. In some examples, the storage compartment may beconfigured to hold ammunition (e.g., shotgun or rifle cartridges) orcleaning kits, etc. Similar storage compartments have been availablesince approximately the middle of the 19^(th) century in which flints,wadding, etc. were stored. Additionally, the M1 carbine, includes astorage compartment in which a cleaning kit is stored. While the storagecompartment of the M1 carbine is supposed to be water proof, knownproduction techniques have been unable to cost efficiently mass producesuch water proof storage compartments. As such, the M1 carbine mayinclude a container, which is waterproof, that is positioned in thestorage compartment. In operation, to close and/or seal the storagecompartment, a steel cover is coupled to the shoulder stock via a catchand/or locking mechanism. The interaction between the steel cover andthe storage compartment does not provide a waterproof seal even ifmaterial is placed between the steel cover and the shoulder stock,because compression of the material around the shoulder stock is not beevenly distributed. Additionally, the catch and/or locking mechanism isdifficult to open, which often results in broken finger nails. Further,because the catch and/or locking mechanism is made of metal, in time,these components may rust, which prevents the steel cover from beingsecurely fastened to the shoulder stock.

Since the middle of the 18^(th) century, base plates (e.g., stock plate)have been coupled to wood shoulder stocks via screws. Today, this mannerof coupling the base plate to the shoulder stock continues even infirearms having plastic shoulder stocks such as, for example, theRemington® rifle “Nylon.”

Some known firearms include a waterproof ammunition container that isscrewed to the base plate of the shoulder stock. A gasket or seal ispositioned on an end of the container to substantially prevent waterfrom entering the container between the connection of the container andthe base plate. In operation, the interaction between the container andthe base plate results in considerable design restrictions.Additionally, the small size of the container makes it susceptible tobeing misplaced or lost.

Some modern firearms such as, for example, submachine guns, automaticfirearms or assault weapons, require batteries to operate certaincomponents. In such instances, reservoir batteries may be additionallystored in the firearm. Typically, these batteries are positioned in thefirearm in a moisture proof housing, especially if the batteries areengaged to electrical contacts. In operation, it may be preferable tohave the area in the firearm in which the batteries are positioned to beeasily accessible to the marksman. While these batteries may be storedin a moisture proof container positioned in the storage compartment ofthe shoulder stock, which is not water proof, this approach leads todesign limitations and increases production costs. For example, if theM1 carbine was provided with such a moisture proof container to storebatteries, the cost of the firearm would probably only be acceptable foruse with military task forces.

Some magazines such as, for example, stock magazines or tubularmagazines (e.g., Spencer, patented in 1860; FN-small caliber automatic“Browning”), are examples of costly components that may providerelatively adequate water proofing. However, the purchase of thesemagazines is typically justifiable only for use with luxury firearms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a side view of an example shoulder stock and an examplebase plate.

FIG. 2 depicts a side, cross-sectional view of the example shoulderstock and the example base plate of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a top view of the example shoulder stock and the examplebase plate of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 depicts a trimetric view of the example shoulder stock of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 depicts a rear view of the example shoulder stock of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 depicts a side view of the example shoulder stock of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 depicts a side, cross-sectional view of the example base plate ofFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain examples are shown in the above-identified figures and describedin detail below. In describing these examples, like or identicalreference numbers are used to identify the same or similar elements. Thefigures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certainviews of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematicfor clarity. Additionally, several examples have been describedthroughout this specification. Any features from any example may beincluded with, a replacement for, or otherwise combined with otherfeatures from other examples. Further, throughout this description,position designations such as “above,” “below,” “top,” “forward,”“rear,” “left,” “right,” etc. are referenced to a firearm held in anormal firing position (i.e., wherein the “shooting direction” ispointed away from the marksman in a generally horizontal direction) andfrom the point of view of the marksman. Furthermore, the normal firingposition of the weapon is always assumed, i.e., the position in whichthe barrel runs along a horizontal axis.

The examples described herein generally relate to example shoulderstocks having one or more storage compartments that may advantageouslyutilized to store batteries or other items. Additionally, the examplesdescribed herein generally relate to example base plates that areremovably couplable to the example shoulder stocks.

Referring to FIGS. 1-7, an example shoulder stock 1 is depicted that maybe manufactured, produced and/or fabricated by injection molding or anyother suitable methods. The shoulder stock 1 includes a relativelyplanar surface 102, which is positioned toward the rear of the shoulderstock 1 and adjacent a first projection 11 and a second projection 15.Additionally, openings 402 and 404 of storage compartments 23 arepositioned adjacent the planar surface 102 and are on either side of acenter line 502 (FIG. 5). In this example, the openings 402 and 404 havea substantially circular cross-section. However, in other examples, theopening 402 and 404 may have any other suitable cross-section. While thecross-sections of the openings 402 and 404 are depicted as beingsubstantially similar, the cross-sections of the openings 402 and 404may be different from one another. Still in other examples, the storagecompartments 23 may be arranged in any other position such as, forexample, the storage compartments 23 may be positioned along the centerline 502 or the storage compartments 23 may be positioned at an anglefrom one another (e.g., a 45 degree angle relative to the center line502, etc.). Additionally, while the examples described herein depict twostorage compartments 23, the shoulder stock 1 may define any othernumber of storage compartments (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.).

The first projection 11 defines a first groove 104 and the secondprojection 15 defines a second groove 106. The first and second grooves104 and 106 open toward each other. In operation, the first groove 104is configured to receive and secure a first rib 108 of a base plate 3relative to the shoulder stock 1 and the second groove 106 is configuredto receive and secure a second rib 110 of the base plate 3 relative tothe shoulder stock 1. The first and second ribs 108 and 110 extend froma first portion 5 (e.g., a stiff coating) of the base plate 3. The firstportion 5 may be made of a relatively rigid material. As depicted inFIGS. 3-5, the first projection 11 includes an angled surface 13 (e.g.,a diagonal inlet surface) positioned toward the rear of the shoulderstock 1 and adjacent a recess 31. In some examples, the secondprojection 15 may include an angled surface (not shown). Additionally,the first projection 11 defines an indentation 19 positioned toward thetop of the shoulder stock 1. The recess 31 and the indentation 19 areconfigured to receive a projection 17 (e.g., a catch finger) of the baseplate 3.

An extension 9 (e.g., a center bolt) extends from the planar surface 102toward the rear of the shoulder stock 1. In particular, the extension 9is positioned substantially along the center line 502 below and inrelative close proximity to the openings 402 and 404 of the storagecompartments 23. The extension 9 includes a first guide rib 408 and asecond guide rib 410, which extend on either side (e.g., to the rightand to the left, respectively) of the extension 9.

The first portion 5 of the base plate 3 defines a cavity or aperture 25(FIG. 7) that receives the extension 9. Additionally, the cavity 25includes a plurality of cut-outs (not shown) positioned opposite oneanother that correspond to the first and second guide ribs 408 and 410of the extension 9 when the base plate 3 is positioned substantiallyperpendicular relative to the center line 502. In operation, toremovably couple the base plate 3 to the shoulder stock 1, the extension9 is inserted into the cavity 25 such that the guide ribs 408 and 410are received by the cut-outs. The base plate 3 is then rotated about theextension 9 to properly position, for example, the guide ribs 408 and410 in slots (not shown) of the cavity 25. To ensure that the base plate3 is not improperly aligned relative to the extension 9 and, thus, theshoulder stock 1, the first guide rib 408 may be a different size and/orhave a different geometry than the second guide rib 410.

As the first portion 5 of the base plate 3 is rotated toward itsposition illustrated in FIG. 1, the first rib 108 is received by thefirst groove 104 and the second rib 110 is received by the second groove106. To draw a surface 702 of the first portion 5 toward the planarsurface 102 as the base plate 3 is rotated about the extension 9,surfaces 29, 704, 706, 708 and 710 of the slots, the ribs 108 and 110and/or the grooves 104 and 106 may be beveled. In particular, thesurfaces 29, 704 and 712, which are positioned toward the rear of theshoulder stock 1 may be constructed as beveled edges. As a result, thefirst portion 5 is firmly positioned against the planar surface 102 ofthe shoulder stock 1.

A second portion 7 is coupled to the first portion 5, both of which arepart of the base plate 3. The second portion 7 may be made of anelastomer material or an elastomer coating (e.g., a rubber likematerial) that may be relatively flexible as compared to the firstportion 5. The second portion 7 includes the projection 17 that may bepartially received by the recess 31 and the indentation 19. The recess31 is open toward the rear of the shoulder stock 1 and the indentation19 is open toward the top of the shoulder stock 1. In operation, as thebase plate 3 is rotated relative to the extension 9, the second portion7 may be partially deformed by the angled surface 13 until theprojection 17 is received by the recess 31. To detach the base plate 3from the shoulder stock 1, a marksman may grasp a tip or end 712 of theprojection 17 to disengage the projection 17 from the recess 31 and,thereafter, the first portion 5 of the base plate 3 may be rotated suchthat the base plate 3 is then positioned relatively perpendicular to thecenter line 502 at which point the base plate 3 may be removed from theshoulder stock 1.

In some examples, the second portion 7 may surround the first portion 5to provide a seal between the base plate 3 and the shoulder stock 1.Additionally or alternatively, seals or coatings 27 and/or 412 may becoupled to the first portion 5 and/or the planar surface 102,respectively, to seal the storage compartments 23 when the base plate 3is secured to the shoulder stock 1 as depicted in FIG. 1. In particular,the seals or coatings 27, 412 may surround each of the storagecompartments 23 to seal the storage compartments 23 when, for example,the first portion 5 engages the angled surfaces 13 of the first and/orsecond projections 11 and 15.

The examples described herein provide a substantially water proofstorage chamber 23 that can be repeatedly opened and closed withoutdamaging components of the shoulder stock 1 and/or the base plate 3.Additionally, the examples described here can be cost effectivelyproduced. Further, in contrast to known firearms having storagecompartments in which the base plate is fastened to the shoulder stockwith screws, the example base plate 3 may be removed from the shoulderstock 1 without the use of tools (e.g., screw driver, etc.). In someexamples, only a few components (e.g., the first portion 5, the secondportion 7, and the shoulder stock 1) may be needed to adequately sealthe storage compartments 23. In operation, the openings 402 and 404 arepositioned toward the rear of the shoulder stock 1 such that the storagecompartments 23 may be accessed from the rear of a firearm (not shown).The position of the storage compartments 23 provides a significantlyhigh amount of protection to the storage compartments 23 when theexamples described herein are utilized with a rifle or other firearm.The examples described herein are suitable to be produced in massproduction with relatively low or no precision monitoring.

As described above, the shoulder stock 1 defines the storagecompartments 23. At least a portion of the planar surface 102 is to besealingly engaged by the base plate 3 to prevent liquid from enteringthe storage compartments 23. In operation, the base plate 3 is removablycoupled to the shoulder stock 1 adjacent the planar surface 102 by theinteraction between the extension 9, the first and second guide ribs 408and 410 and the cavity 25. A locking mechanism or bayonet lock mayinclude the extension 9, the first and second guide ribs 408 and 410 andthe cavity 25. In some examples, this interaction may be similar to abayonet mount (e.g., bayonet lock). The extension 9 extends from theplanar surface 102 toward the rear.

As discussed above, no additional components other than the base plate 3cover the storage compartments 23. Swiss military rifles have utilizedbase plates to position and/or conceal an identification label. Incontrast, the base plate 3 is utilized to cover the storage compartments23, and not necessarily a place to conceal an identification label.

In contrast to known firearms, the base plate 3 is securely fastened tothe shoulder stock 1 via the interaction between the extension 9, thefirst and second guide ribs 408 and 410 and the cavity 25. Thisinteraction provides a reliable and permanent connection between theshoulder stock 1 and the base plate 3, which secures the base plate 3relative to the shoulder stock 1 even if the base plate 3 is twistedduring training exercises and/or combat missions. Additionally, theinteraction between the extension 9, the first and second guide ribs 408and 410 and the cavity 25 advantageously provides a sealing engagementbetween the base plate 3 and the shoulder stock 1, which substantiallyprevents moisture and/or fluid from penetrating the storage compartments23 when the base plate 3 is secured to the shoulder stock 1 as depictedin FIG. 1. In particular, this sealing engagement is provided by arelatively few number of components. Preferably, two or less componentsare utilized to securely fasten the base plate 3 to the shoulder stock1, which is a significantly less number of components than used withknown shoulder stocks that require at least two fasteners while stillinadequately covering and/or sealing any storage compartments.

The extension 9 may be positioned somewhat off center relative to theplanar surface 102 such that, in some examples, by rotating the baseplate 3 about the extension 9 a majority of the cross-section of theopening 402 and 404 and/or the planar surface 102 are exposed.Similarly, the off center position of the extension 9 relative to theplanar surface 102, enables the storage compartments 23 to be relativelylarge. Further, the position of the extension 9 adjacent the storagecompartments 23 provides an anchoring point to advantageously ensurethat a sealing engagement is provided to and/or around the openings 402and 404 of the storage compartments 23. In some examples, such as, whenthe examples described herein are used with submachine guns, the storagecompartments 23 may be positioned along the center line 502 (e.g., avertical longitudinal plane) of the firearm, which enables the breechpath or its related components to move freely relative to the firearm.The storage compartments 23 may be advantageously utilized to storebatteries.

As described above, the base plate 3 includes the cavity 25 thatreceives the extension 9 and substantially secures the base plate 3relative to the shoulder stock 1 even if the base plate 3 is twistedrelative to the shoulder stock 1. Known issued firearms (e.g., rifles,submachine guns, assault weapons, etc.) may be retrofitted with theexamples described herein, because the examples described herein aredirected toward the shoulder stock and the base plate and not the reargunstock base

Preferably, the seals 27, 412 are arranged around the openings 402 and404 of the storage compartments 23 and coupled to the first portion 5and/or the planar surface 102 to seal the storage compartments 23 whenthe base plate 3 is secured to the shoulder stock 1. In some examples,the seals 27, 412 may be a rubber gasket and/or a compressible gasket,which seals the opening 402 and 404 of the storage compartments 23.While the storage compartments 23 are depicted as being cylindricalsleeves, the storage compartments 23 may be any other shape and have anyother size. The seals 27, 412 advantageously ensure that an adequateseal is provided to the storage compartments 23 even taking into accountproduction tolerances and/or mass production.

Traditionally, base plates were made of a metal material. However,modern firearms increasingly include base plates made of a rubbermaterial and/or an elastomer material. The rubber material and/or theelastomer material advantageously conforms to a marksman's clothingduring firing, cushions recoil and substantially prevents a firearm thathas been leaned against an object on end from falling over. However,base plates made of rubber material and/or elastomer material pose someproblems because the base plate is not uniformly supported by theshoulder stock. To eliminate some these problems encountered with knownbase plates, the example base plate 3 includes the first portion 5 andthe second portion 7, which is coupled to the first portion 5 toward therear of the shoulder stock 1. In some examples, the first portion 5 maybe made of a relatively rigid material and the second portion 7 may bemade of an elastomer material. The first portion 5 defines the cavity 25that receives (e.g., fits over) the extension 9. The second portion 7may form a coating for a support portion of the firearm. Additionally,the surface 702 of the first portion 5 may define an aperture, grooveand/or indentation 714 (e.g., a third groove and/or an aperture) inwhich the seal 27 may be positioned to surround the openings 402 and 404of the storage compartments 23 when the base plate 3 is secured to theshoulder stock 1. In operation, the first portion 5 may be manufactured,fabricated and/or machined from a zinc material, a plastic material orany other suitable material. The first portion 5 may define a grooveinto which the seal 27 is positioned.

Preferably, the first portion 5 defines apertures (not shown) (e.g.,recesses or an aperture) that enables some of the second portion 7 toextend through the first portion 5 to surround the openings 402 and 404and to provide a seal to the storage compartments 23 when the base plate3 is secured to the shoulder stock 1. However, in still other examples,the seal may be separate from the second portion 7, but may be made of amaterial that is similar to the material used for the second portion 7.The second portion 7 may be made of a material that is relatively stiff,but is deformable to provide sealing properties. In some examples, thesecond portion 7 may be made of a material similar to the material usedto manufacture automobile tires.

While the interaction between the extension 9 and the cavity 25 securesthe base plate 3 to the shoulder stock 1, to ensure that objects suchas, for example, grass or straw, do not become lodged between the baseplate 3 and the shoulder stock 1, the shoulder stock 1 includes thefirst and second projections 11 and 15 that define the first and secondgrooves 104 and 106, respectively, that receive the first and secondribs 108 and 110 of the base plate 3. Preferably, the ribs 108 and 110and/or the projections 11 and 15 are positioned at a distance from theextension 9. While the examples described herein are provided with twoprojections 11 and 15, the shoulder stock 1 may be provided with oneprojection.

Preferably, the first projection 11 defines the recess 31 to receive theprojection 17. The projection 17 may be part of the second portion 7. Asa result, to produce the projection 17, no separate components areproduced. The interaction between the projection 17 and the recess 31ensures secure positioning of the base plate 3 relative to the shoulderstock 1 to prevent impairment during firing. Additionally, theinteraction between the projection 17 and the recess 31 prevents thebase plate 3 from shifting relative to the openings 402 and 404 toensure that an adequate seal is maintained against the openings 402 and404. Further, the interaction between the projection 17 and the recess31 prevents the base plate 3 from shifting relative the seals 27 and/or412 to prevent the seals 27 and/or 412 from degrading and/or to increasethe useful life of the seals 27 and/or 412.

Preferably, as described above, the projection 17 engages theindentation 19 of the first projection 11 to further secure the baseplate 3 relative to the shoulder stock 1. To remove the projection 17from the indentation 19, a marksman grasps the tip 712 of the projection17 and moves the projection 17 toward the rear of the shoulder stock 1.As a result, the projection 17 and, thus, the base plate 3 may beremoved from the shoulder stock 1 without the use of an additional tool(e.g., a screw driver). However, during normal operation, the position,shape and/or material properties of the projection 17 urge theprojection 17 toward and into the indention 19 to prevent the projection17 from interfering during firing and to ensure the base plate 3 issecurely positioned against the shoulder stock 1.

Preferably, as discussed above, the shoulder stock 1 and the storagecompartments 23 are made of a plastic material. As a result, fluid(e.g., water) can not penetrate lateral walls 112 of the shoulder stock1 and/or the storage compartments 23. Additionally, producing theshoulder stock 1 and/or the storage compartments 23 from a plasticmaterial advantageously reduces the amount of operations performed tomanufacture, fabricate and/or produce these components. In particular,the amount of time to produce the shoulder stock 1 and the storagecompartments 23 is between about a few seconds.

Preferably, as described above, the first portion 5 and the secondportion 7 are coupled to each other. In particular, the first portion 5may be molded to the second portion 7 and/or the first portion 5 and thesecond portion 7 may be vulcanized. As a result, the first and secondportions 5 and 7 may be produced by injection molding with relativelyhigh precision even if the first portion 5 has a different thermalexpansion rate than the second portion 7. Additionally, the firstportion 5 may be precisely coupled to the second portion 7.

Preferably, as discussed above, the extension 9, the first and secondguide ribs 408 and 410, the cavity 25, the first and second projections11 and 15 and/or the first portion 5 are configured to ensure that asthe base plate 3 is rotated toward the operating position, the baseplate 3 is drawn toward the shoulder stock 1. In some examples, theslots of the cavity 25 may be provided with tapered surfaces 29. Inother examples, surfaces 29 of the first and/or second guide ribs 408and 410 may be beveled. As a result, as the base plate 3 is rotatedabout the extension, the seal 27, which coats the first portion 5, ispositioned in the groove 714 and/or the second portion 7 that protrudesthrough the apertures defined by the first portion 5, is pressed aroundthe openings 402 and 404 of the storage compartments 23 to provide anadequate seal even taking into account production tolerances. Inparticular, the seal conforms to production inconformities such as, forexample, flashing, gaps, etc.

The examples described herein provide an example apparatus that includesfewer components than known shoulder stocks while still providingstorage compartments 23 that may be sealing engaged by the base plate 3even taking into account production tolerances.

Additionally, different base plates 3 may be interchanged (e.g., fieldexchanged) with one another that have different geometries. In someexamples, the base plate 3 may have a convex geometry and, in otherexamples, the base plate 3 may have a concave geometry.

Although certain example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacturehave been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is notlimited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods,apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope ofthe appended claims either literally or under the doctrine ofequivalents.

1. A shoulder stock for use with firearms, comprising: a shoulder stockthat defines at least one storage compartment having an opening, whereinthe shoulder stock includes a locking mechanism that includes anextension that extends toward the rear of the shoulder stock; and a baseplate that includes a seal, wherein the base plate is removablycouplable to the shoulder stock by the locking mechanism.
 2. Theshoulder stock as defined in claim 1, wherein the base plate defines acavity to receive the extension and to substantially axially secure thebase plate relative to the shoulder stock.
 3. The shoulder stock asdefined in claim 1, wherein the seal is positioned adjacent the openingwhen the base plate is coupled to the shoulder stock to prevent fluidfrom entering the at least one storage compartment.
 4. The shoulderstock as defined in claim 1, wherein the base plate comprises a firstportion and a second portion.
 5. The shoulder stock as defined in claim4, wherein the first portion comprises a relatively rigid material andthe second portion comprises a relatively elastomer material.
 6. Theshoulder stock as defined in claim 4, wherein the first portion definesa cavity to receive the extension.
 7. The shoulder stock as defined inclaim 4, wherein the first portion defines a recess to receive the sealthat is positioned adjacent the opening when the base plate is coupledto the shoulder stock to prevent fluid from entering the at least onestorage compartment.
 8. The shoulder stock as defined in claim 4,wherein the first portion defines an aperture through which some of thesecond portion protrudes to form the seal that is positioned adjacentthe opening when the base plate is coupled to the shoulder stock toprevent fluid from entering the at least one storage compartment.
 9. Theshoulder stock as defined in claim 4, wherein the shoulder stock definesa recess to receive a projection of the second portion of the base plateto further secure the base plate relative to the shoulder stock.
 10. Theshoulder stock as defined in claim 9, wherein the projection isremovable from the recess to rotate the base plate relative to theextension to remove the base plate from the shoulder stock.
 11. Theshoulder stock as defined in claim 1, wherein the shoulder stock furthercomprises at least one projection that defines a groove to receive a ribof the base plate.
 12. The shoulder stock as defined in claim 1, whereinthe shoulder stock comprises a plastic material.
 13. The shoulder stockas defined in claim 1, wherein the extension, guide ribs, at least oneprojection that defines a recess and a cavity of the base plate areconfigured to draw the base plate toward the shoulder stock as the baseplate is rotated about the extension to removably couple the base plateto the shoulder stock.
 14. A shoulder stock for use with firearms,comprising: a shoulder stock that defines at least one storagecompartment having an opening, wherein the shoulder stock comprises: afirst projection that defines a first groove, wherein the firstprojection defines a recess positioned toward the rear of the firearmand an indentation that is positioned toward the top of the firearm andwherein the recess and the indentation are to receive a projection of asecond portion of a base plate; a second projection opposite the firstprojection, wherein the second projection defines a second groove; andan extension that extends from the shoulder stock, wherein the extensionincludes a first guide rib opposite a second guide rib; a first portionof the base plate that is coupled to the second portion, wherein thefirst portion comprises: a cavity to receive the extension to removablycouple the base plate to the shoulder stock; a first rib to be receivedby the first groove; a second rib to be received by the second groove,wherein at least one of the first rib, the second rib, the cavity, theextension, the first groove or the second groove are configured to drawthe base plate toward the shoulder stock as the base plate is rotatedabout the extension.
 15. The shoulder stock as defined in claim 14,wherein the first portion defines an aperture through which some of thesecond portion protrudes to form a seal that is positioned adjacent theopening when the base plate is coupled to the shoulder stock to preventfluid from entering the at least one storage compartment.
 16. Theshoulder stock as defined in claim 14, wherein the first portion definesa third groove to receive a seal that is positioned adjacent the openingwhen the base plate is coupled to the shoulder stock to prevent fluidfrom entering the at least one storage compartment.
 17. The shoulderstock as defined in claim 14, wherein the first portion comprises arelatively rigid material.
 18. The shoulder stock as defined in claim14, wherein the second portion comprises an elastomer material.
 19. Ashoulder stock for use with firearms, comprising: a shoulder stock thatdefines at least one storage compartment having an opening, wherein theshoulder stock includes a bayonet lock that includes an extension thatextends toward the rear of the shoulder stock; and a base plate thatincludes a liquid tight seal, wherein the base plate is removablycouplable to the shoulder stock by the bayonet lock.
 20. The shoulderstock as defined in claim 19, wherein the extension, guide ribs, atleast one projection that defines a recess and a cavity of the baseplate are configured to draw the base plate toward the shoulder stock asthe base plate is rotated about the extension to removably couple thebase plate to the shoulder stock.